AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL REVISIONS TO ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY STATUTES.

SUMMARY:

This bill transfers various responsibilities from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) in the department.
It also makes conforming and technical changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Upon passage

MINOR CHANGES

PA 11-80 renamed the PubLic Utility Control Authority PURA and placed it in DEEP, which the act created.

The bill requires PURA, rather than DEEP, to:

1.
review nuclear power plant decommissioning plans and order changes to them if necessary;

2.
implement flexible rates and take other steps to promote economic development;

3.
implement the telecommunications deregulation law passed in 1994 in accordance with statutory goals;

4.
reclassify telecommunications services as to their degree of competitiveness, which affects how their rates are set;

5.
report to the Energy and Technology Committee annually on the status of telecommunications services and regulation;

6.
implement alternative forms of utility rate regulation for telecommunications services that are not fully competitive;

7.
determine whether a telecommunications company has engaged in prohibited telemarketing practices;

8.
(a) require a nonprofit organization responsible for community (public) access TV operations to undergo an audit, (b) set the amount charged to cable TV subscribes to support community access TV, and (c) receive reports by non-profit organizations and cable TV companies on community access TV;

The bill allows PURA, rather than DEEP, to authorize a cable TV company to (1) operate a business office in an area immediately adjacent to its franchise area and (2) use a free calling option other than a toll-free number for its customer service office.